The Phoenician Scheme (2025)
Film · Comedy, Adventure, Crime
Stream itif you enjoy Anderson’s signature brand of meticulous symmetry, deadpan delivery, and colourful, eccentric capers.
A meticulously framed, whimsical crime caper that utilizes a star-studded cast and deadpan delivery. It is an intellectually playful and visually vibrant comedy for those who enjoy dry wit and eccentric storytelling.
What it is about
Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.
Trailer
What The Phoenician Scheme is like, and who it is for
What it is like to watch
Watching this film feels like stepping into a vibrant, clockwork diorama. The pace is brisk and rhythmic, defined by highly choreographed movements and a persistent, dry wit that keeps the stakes feeling light despite the presence of assassins and terrorists. Every frame is saturated with a specific, toy-box aesthetic that ensures even the most chaotic moments of the crime plot feel tidily organised and intellectually playful.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
This is essential viewing for fans of high-stylisation who value visual composition as much as dialogue. It will likely alienate anyone seeking gritty realism or raw emotional spontaneity, as the performances are intentionally stiff and the narrative structure is overtly theatrical. A notable caveat is that the film prioritises its own peculiar logic and aesthetic flourishes over genuine tension or traditional character development.
The right evening for it
It is perfect for a weekend evening when you want something visually stimulating and intellectually light. It suits a mood for whimsical escapism that requires focus but offers a cheerful, stylish payoff.
Written by our AI from the facts on this page. It has opinions; it has not watched it.
Teaser
Teaser · Now Streaming on Peacock
How The Phoenician Scheme leaves you
One line on the mood it ends on, with no plot. Some people count that as a spoiler, so it stays hidden until you ask.
Expect to feel charmed and visually refreshed. It leaves you with a sense of lighthearted satisfaction, as if you have just finished a beautifully illustrated book of tall tales.
How The Phoenician Scheme ends
Spoilers. The whole ending, in a few lines. Nothing shows until you ask and then confirm.
The film ends with Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda bankrupted after investing his entire fortune into the Phoenician scheme. Following a violent confrontation at the Desert Oasis Palace hotel, Korda fatally wounds his half-brother Nubar before Nubar dies in a grenade explosion. Abandoning his former life of armaments and deceit, Korda retires to run a small bistro with Sister Liesl, who has accepted him as her father after being dismissed from her convent.
Bjørn, the former spy who switched sides for love, proposes to Liesl using a wedding ring returned by Korda's brief wife, Hilda. The final scene shows Korda and Liesl playing cards together at the end of a working day, settling their relationship as a family unit. While the infrastructure project’s completion remains in the background, Korda's personal redemption is secured through his conversion to Catholicism and his choice of love over money.
Summarised by our AI from the plot section of the Wikipedia article, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. This summary is shared under the same licence.
Stills
Images from TMDB.
If you like this, try
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
the same blend of high-stakes crime and fastidious, whimsical art direction
Charade (1963)
a colourful, globe-trotting caper involving hidden inheritance and eccentric threats
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
the focus on competing, quirky factions all scheming for a single prize
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More clips
Teaser · Watch at Home Now
Teaser · Globetrotting
Teaser · Delightful
The Phoenician Scheme soundtrack
Music by Alexandre Desplat
- 1Airplane Crash #1 · Alexandre Desplat
- 2Apollon musagète (1947 Version) / Second Tableau: Apollon musagète: "Apotheosis" · Igor Stravinsky & RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
- 3A.Z.K Land & Sea · Alexandre Desplat
- 4Palazzo Korda · Alexandre Desplat
- 5Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2 No. 2: Piano Sonata No. 2 in A, Op. 2 IV Rondo · Robert Corben
- 6Petrouchka - (1911, rev.1947): Petrouchka, 1947 Version: "Tableau 1, The Shrovetide Fair” · Igor Stravinsky & Columbia Symphony Orchestra
- 7The Gap Explodes · Alexandre Desplat
- 8The Trans-Mountain Locomotive Tunnel · Alexandre Desplat
- 9Drum Boogie · Gene Krupa
- 10Mud Bug · Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq Sextet
Album and songs from Apple Music.
Questions people ask
- Is The Phoenician Scheme a funny film?
- Yes. On Watchlist Boosted it is tagged Funny. A meticulously framed, whimsical crime caper that utilizes a star-studded cast and deadpan delivery. It is an intellectually playful and visually vibrant comedy for those who enjoy dry wit and eccentric storytelling.
- How long is The Phoenician Scheme?
- The Phoenician Scheme runs 102 min and was released in 2025.
- Where can I watch The Phoenician Scheme in Australia?
- In Australia, The Phoenician Scheme is included with Netflix (all plans), BINGE, Foxtel Now.
- Who composed the music for The Phoenician Scheme?
- The music for The Phoenician Scheme is by Alexandre Desplat. The soundtrack album, The Phoenician Scheme (Original Soundtrack), has 17 tracks.
- What songs are on the The Phoenician Scheme soundtrack?
- The Phoenician Scheme (Original Soundtrack) has 17 tracks, including “Airplane Crash #1” by Alexandre Desplat, “Apollon musagète (1947 Version) / Second Tableau: Apollon musagète: "Apotheosis"” by Igor Stravinsky & RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, “A.Z.K Land & Sea” by Alexandre Desplat, “Palazzo Korda” by Alexandre Desplat and “Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2 No. 2: Piano Sonata No. 2 in A, Op. 2 IV Rondo” by Robert Corben, and more. It is on Apple Music.
- Is The Phoenician Scheme worth watching?
- Stream it: if you enjoy Anderson’s signature brand of meticulous symmetry, deadpan delivery, and colourful, eccentric capers. IMDb users rate it 6.6 out of 10 from 67,617 votes, Rotten Tomatoes gives it 77%, Metacritic 70 and TMDB users 6.5.
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